2009: Year 2 - Work in Trinidad

PowerBoats Yard, Chaguaramus: Part 1

PowerBoats Yard - Our Neighbours

We set aside another 2 months of our cruising season to add a few little extras in Trinidad.  Power Boat Yard was a good choice in every respect and we enjoyed getting to know the locals, other cruisers and experiencing life in Trinidad, the capital of “ridim”, mon!  At this stage we had finished our surveyor's report of essential "things to do" and now wanted some repairs or additions to make life a little easier....

Move 'em Out!

Cutter Rig.  I wanted a more easily handled sail arrangement and so we added an inner forestay and new staysail.  WJ3 is now a cutter.  I would heartily recommend our rigging people – Trinidad Rigging – and his local staff who were very easy to work with and totally professional. 

The sailmaker’s new sail appeared to fit okay and looked fine to me.  However, despite my many requests, he never came to check the fitted sail to make sure it was a tailored fitting – very disappointing. 

More Canvas Work.    More canvas work was planned and David, the canvas man at Power Boats (marina/boatyard where we stayed in Trinidad) made side and rear shade cloth curtains for the bimini.  These additions completed the bimini/dodger ensemble so that we can keep both sun and bugs out of the cockpit while allowing the main hatchway to be kept open when it rains.  We have our very own bug house now!  David made another smaller awning for the foredeck and this makes it even cooler when at anchor – great.  Even better, we don’t need to do the “hatches” song & dance routine when it rains, as it frequently does in the tropics.  The bimini also needed stitching in odd places and its PVC window needed to be replaced.  I couldn’t see through it to check the set of my sails.  We also had a cover for Bruce (our dinghy) made to protect him against nasty UV rays.  Now he has his very own “coat”.  David was very patient and professional; working hard to ensure we were completely happy and that his product was delivered on time.  He is highly recommended.

Showing off our Trini renovations in a very friendly Marina Turks Caicos

Insect Screens.   You wouldn’t think these were important until one is set upon by mozzies, can’t-see-ums, etc which can be a daily occurrence in the Caribbean, US Intracoastal Waterway, and Bahamas.  We have screens for most coach house deck hatches.  The Galley Slave is allergic to burning mozzie coils, however we can get away with one lighted in the saloon while keeping screens over our hatches above our bunk in the forward cabin.  This seems to sort out any bugs that make it into our cabin.  With the Hella fans running it is relatively comfortable even in the heat of the tropics. Their biggest issue is having to take them out before we can close the hatches if it rains...so back to the drawing board but, they'll do for now! 

Engine Insulation.  I replaced engine and generator insulation as the old insulation was coming away and the old foam was becoming powdery – an easy job to do myself.  I simply cut out the required shape and applied contact cement and/or pins/buttons, which all made for a secure attachment.

Generator Upgrade & Repairs.  We had a coolant reservoir fitted to the generator (same as more modern versions) by a professional mechanic and it’s now much easier to control coolant levels, especially when at sea. 

I also replaced my raw water impellor when I noticed there was only a relatively small flow of water being expelled through the exhaust.  Removed impellor plus bits of impellor blades and replaced with spare. I now do this routinely for both the engine and generator at the start of each season – I keep the old impellors that are undamaged, as spares.